


A Different Viewpoint

by skargasm



Series: Parental Units [4]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 09:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heath gets some advice from his Dad on love....</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Different Viewpoint

Picking carefully at what appeared to have once been bacon but was now a congealed lump on the plate, Heath considered how to start. Of course, he’d forgotten who he was trying to talk to.

“I really think that may be part of the pattern on the China, and you’re not doing your nails any good.”

“Huh?”

“Damn, you’re just as bad as your Pop. Just ask it or tell it or whichever it is—the suspense is killing me. And you can stop trying to look like my twin—that is not going to distract me today.”

Dropping the plate into the dirty, soapy water, Heath looked at his hands. His dad was right—they had begun to turn opalescent from being submerged. It looked pretty but it also demonstrated that he wasn’t all human—as did the fact that he was at eye level with his Dad when callused but gentle fingers grasped his jaw and turned his face.

“You know you can talk to me about anything right? I know you go to your Pop for a lot of things and that’s cool, I understand that. Just—I’m here for you too Heath.”

“I don’t—I mean, Pop is just—”

“Demon, I get it. And it’s fine although I’m not sure a safe sex chat from someone who’s definition of it is ‘anywhere out of direct sunlight’ is as comprehensive as it should be.” Since that had pretty much been the original speech Pop gave, Heath couldn’t help but laugh. But hang on—

“How did you—” His voice rose then cracked mid-sentence and he stopped speaking. This whole late-demonic puberty thing sucked ass.

“I’m nowhere near as stupid or naive as you two seem to think. Just as an example, I am well aware of your habit of climbing out of bedroom windows, hanging off of the roof so you can keep an eye on me.” Well Hell, so much for him and Pop keeping Dad safe. Should he warn Pop that they were busted or let him get blindsided? It would be educational to see how Pop got out of this one. ”Boy or girl?”

Shifting nervously from foot to foot, Heath looked at his Dad, slowly relaxing. He dropped a few inches and his vision cleared as he slowly transformed to his natural self. Dad’s hand stroked his cheek, a thumb sweeping gently beneath his eye.

“Giles is fascinated, you know—especially as the patch seems to be getting darker as you mature.” Dad was referring to the eye patch that ‘grew’ over his eye when he took on the shape of Xander Harris fully—purely organic, made by his ‘glamour’ but with the total appearance of the real thing. “Don’t look so worried, we’ve had the _no treating your honorary nephew as research material_ chat with the G-man.”

“Boy.”

“Ahhh. He likes you or you like him?” It was so relaxing the way Dad’s huge hands felt as they stroked up and down his back and neck. Strong yet gentle, they soothed nerves he wasn’t aware he was feeling.

“Not sure. I think he’s into me but it’s been nearly a year and nothin’. I was thinking about kissing Jordan just to get a reaction out of him but then J might be a bit pissed about it.”

“You **definitely** spend too much time with Spike. This has all the hallmarks of being one of his stellar but less than successful plans.” Dad stood silently, head tilted to one side as he continued to pat and stroke Heath’s back. Heath blinked hard, not quite sure how he’d gone from washing dishes to standing with his head resting on his Dad’s shoulder, swaying to an invisible rhythm that was hypnotic. “Have you considered just asking Tino how he feels? It **is** Tino, right? What am I saying, you’re a teenage boy—of course you can’t just ask him.”

“How did you and Pop get together?” He’d wanted to know for so long but all of the hassle—getting him out of the hospital, getting him an identity in the human world, moving in with his new Dads, figuring out that the Slayer and her army weren’t going to kill him for being half-demon—had overtaken everything. Now he couldn’t explain why he was so relaxed and secure—there was just something about the two of them that soothed something inside him. They had a knack of making him feel wanted when he was feeling lost. Probably why they matched each other so well. But he was curious—slaying, loss of an eye, bursting into flames at the bottom of the Hellmouth to domestic bliss—how did anyone get to that? 

“Kitten poker and a double dare from your Uncle Clem.”

“What does Clem have to do with you and Pop?”

“We were out of kittens, drunk as Lords, and Clem dared us to kiss.” It was nice—standing being held by Dad, hearing the lush sound of his blood running through his veins, absentmindedly reading his body signs as he listened to his Dad talk. He could tell his Dad was blushing as he remembered but it was all background noise really—it was just nice to feel safe and loved. “We were drunk enough to do it, sober enough to enjoy it and dumb enough to go home and—actually, that’s probably more than you need to know.”

“Ahh, Dad, it sounds like you’re missing out the best bit!”

“That’s enough out of you. Tino—is he special or just a dalliance?”

“I dunno. He’s been on my mind a lot for the last year—can’t stop myself staring at him. He makes me bone up just thinking about him—it’s maddening.”

“Yeah, you spend too much time with your Pop—that’s his definition of romance right there, the ability to make someone chub up with minimum effort.” Even blushing at hearing his Dad saying something like that, Heath didn’t move from where he was. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t hug his Dad as much as he wanted to—maybe he didn’t want to freak out the human? Maybe he wanted his Dad to see him as a protector and therefore not soft. Fuck that—if being soft meant you got to enjoy what Aunty Willow called ‘Xander shaped hugs’, he was going to make the most of them. “You know what I think you should do? I think you should invite Tino round for video night with me and your Pop so we can get to know him a bit better. How does that sound?”

“How is that gonna get me laid Dad?”

“It might not get you laid but having our blessing might make you feel a bit more relaxed.”

“It’s not _that_ serious Dad—I just want to get my hands on him. And sometimes I want to just throw him down and rub myself all over him!” There was what could only be a stunned silence and Dad’s hands stopped moving. Then they started up again.

“Not serious? I could swear I looked up Zebatanthon physiology and the need to scent-mark is—”

“DAD!! It’s not scent-marking! I just—” Oh God, what if Dad was right?? He wasn’t ready for something that big. And how did he explain it to Tino? What if Tino wasn’t even interested? His friend knew that Heath had unconventional parents but what if meeting them grossed him out? What if something happened like they had to patrol or something and it interrupted the night? What if—Damn it all, the stress was making him feel itchy and there was no way Dad was gonna let him go out on the prowl. Even if his physiology would let him if Tino was meant to be ‘his’.

“Don’t worry Heath. Me and your Pop have got your back. You invite Tino for a night next week, your Pop and I will make it an evening to remember!” Despite the soothing feel of Dad’s hands up and down his back, suddenly Heath was feeling anything but relaxed.

* * *


End file.
